This invention relates generally to social networking, and in particular to the timing for providing relevant notifications for a user of a social networking system based on the user's interactions with previous notifications.
Social networking systems have become prevalent in recent years because they provide a useful environment in which users can connect to and communicate with other users. A variety of different types of social networking systems exist that provide mechanisms allowing users to interact within their social networks. In this context, a user may be an individual or any other entity, such as a business or other non-person entity. Accordingly, while enabling social communications among friends, a social networking system can also be a valuable tool for businesses to engage with potential consumers.
However, businesses traditionally have had significant limits on providing advertisements and information to people that is relevant and timely for people based on their interests, connections to others, and particular locations. At best, traditional avenues of providing information to users have consistently displayed advertisements at somewhat arbitrary times, based on basic user-provided profile information. Often times, users dismiss the provided advertisements because the advertisements are provided during time periods of the day when the users are not available to interact with the advertisements such as when at work for example. Third party content providers have yet to examine user engagement with advertisements to identify the most appropriate time periods throughout the day in which to provide users with the advertisements.